Loading up my game has takes a long time compared to before the patch. Almost like the AT&T issue we had last year and this year.

It took me over 1 minute and 45 seconds to load into the main HUB area and that's using the previous input feature (WOC is the first available thing to click on at main menu), and me using a PS5 to play (I understand it doesn't brute force load times as well as Xbox does but it still makes a bit of an impact). I don't even wanna know how long it takes my PS4 friend to load in (and I already need to wait a frustratingly long time in-game and endure seizure-inducing sync screens waiting for everyone)Is there really no way for some sort of cache system to keep things loaded over time? Seeing that silly little "downloading" icon up in the corner every time is plain weird.I can literally cold boot my PS5 and get right into a multiplayer duel in Demon's Souls faster than I can even enter WoC, let alone the locker room.

@EA_Aljo I can download Red Dead Redemption 2 (109gb base not including extras and can probably boot it up too) in like 5 minutes, I doubt Shaw is trying to single out NHL lol. Regardless of internet, console, and version, the game itself is sluggish at best. "Wesley, get mama's prying bar" is all I could think when I was playing.

Noticing slow load times in WoC again here. Central Canada, ISP is Bell. I blame the Battle Pass prompts that we're forced to dismiss every time we load into WoC. Maybe it's because I literally never interact Battle Pass and I'm never opening or unlocking whatever it is it's telling me I've unlocked. There just seems to be a lot of server-side requests when loading basic menu items. It may work for games like Fortnite and CoD where they've got the $$$ to have AWS adjust resources based on load in AWS/Azure.If EA really wants to push the new-age multiplayer experience with all kinds of tabs and screens that have to pull remote content, they've gotta add more infrastructure to ensure it's a smooth experience.

The menus have too many online assets that need to load before the user can use the functionality. I honestly think this goes largely unnoticed internally because the online assets are usually being pulled over the LAN during development. Once it hits the real-world, the load times vary depending on the user's proximity to the closest AWS instance.Would be nice to make the menus less dependant on pulling remote data so often.

@TTZ_Dipsy I just tried it twice on Xbox One. The first time took 1:18. The second time took 1:09. This is going to very though depending on your ISP, network equipment, etc. Still, that's a long time to load into a mode. Regardless, it's a long wait. Not that I haven't had long waits in other games as well though. However, it's also just the menus in general that are pretty slow so I definitely get the frustration with that.

Long load times from start to get into WOCL

20 Replies

EA_Aljo
Community Manager
2 years ago
Hey, @Spawnessj

How long are your load times now? Also, couldn't hurt to go through a full power cycle of your modem/router and console.
KidShowtime1867
Hero
2 years ago
The menus have too many online assets that need to load before the user can use the functionality.
I honestly think this goes largely unnoticed internally because the online assets are usually being pulled over the LAN during development. Once it hits the real-world, the load times vary depending on the user's proximity to the closest AWS instance.
Would be nice to make the menus less dependant on pulling remote data so often.
TTZ_Dipsy
Hero+
2 years ago
It took me over 1 minute and 45 seconds to load into the main HUB area and that's using the previous input feature (WOC is the first available thing to click on at main menu), and me using a PS5 to play (I understand it doesn't brute force load times as well as Xbox does but it still makes a bit of an impact). I don't even wanna know how long it takes my PS4 friend to load in (and I already need to wait a frustratingly long time in-game and endure seizure-inducing sync screens waiting for everyone)

Is there really no way for some sort of cache system to keep things loaded over time? Seeing that silly little "downloading" icon up in the corner every time is plain weird.

I can literally cold boot my PS5 and get right into a multiplayer duel in Demon's Souls faster than I can even enter WoC, let alone the locker room.
EA_Aljo
Community Manager
2 years ago
@TTZ_Dipsy

I just tried it twice on Xbox One. The first time took 1:18. The second time took 1:09. This is going to very though depending on your ISP, network equipment, etc. Still, that's a long time to load into a mode. Regardless, it's a long wait. Not that I haven't had long waits in other games as well though. However, it's also just the menus in general that are pretty slow so I definitely get the frustration with that.
Spawnessj
Rising Veteran
2 years ago
@EA_Aljo 1:45 easily and that is being generous. Before the patch it took time but man this is bad. I will time it tonight when I get on. Believe me it is not my internet plus I did the power cycle first thinking that. It took me 1 minute 30 seconds to download the 4 gig patch.
75fd980e1b183900
Seasoned Veteran
2 years ago
Yes, it is back to being exactly like the ATT issue from couple months ago. This has been happening the past week.
It is trying to load WoC for 3-4mins and then ultimately fails. I've done multiple modem resets and XB resets. It is only WoC , no other game or app or anything.
Again, things are back to exactly how they were with ATT in the past.
TTZ_Dipsy
Hero+
2 years ago
@EA_Aljo

I can download Red Dead Redemption 2 (109gb base not including extras and can probably boot it up too) in like 5 minutes, I doubt Shaw is trying to single out NHL lol.

Regardless of internet, console, and version, the game itself is sluggish at best.

"Wesley, get mama's prying bar" is all I could think when I was playing.
EA_Aljo
Community Manager
2 years ago
@75fd980e1b183900

Once loaded in, are you able to play? That wasn't possible with the ATT issue so I don't see how this is the exact same issue. Regardless, it obviously shouldn't take 3 - 4 minutes. I'm not seeing other reports of that so far, but will certainly watch for them.

Edit: I just noticed the old ATT thread has some new responses. I've passed this on to the team.
RicochetII
2 years ago
@EA_AljoI experienced slow loading times last night as well. Way beyond normal. In the World of Chel hub, the little "advertising/news" box, on the bottom left didn't even load after 5 minutes. Entering the hub from the main menu, I was stuck on about 95% "freezing pucks" for a couple of minutes.

I assumed there were server issues and didn't bother staying online, but it could be related to loading of the currently advertised assets as well, as those "appeared" to be what the loading was "waiting for".
75fd980e1b183900
Seasoned Veteran
2 years ago
@EA_Aljo wrote:
@75fd980e1b183900
Once loaded in, are you able to play? That wasn't possible with the ATT issue so I don't see how this is the exact same issue. Regardless, it obviously shouldn't take 3 - 4 minutes. I'm not seeing other reports of that so far, but will certainly watch for them.
Edit: I just noticed the old ATT thread has some new responses. I've passed this on to the team.
It was absolutely possible. Att issue didn't affect gameplay, just loading into WoC or other screens that involved the icon to spin. If you got into a lobby or game, you could play. But most of the time you sat waiting to load and then failed.